I am starting up a new campaign that will span the Clone Wars all the way up to either Episode IV or Episode V. So I thought I would post my new updated house rules for everyone to peruse.

House rules
Updated

Available books: All WotC published books are available to use for the game including the errata for those books. However, most era specific equipment presented in The Legacy Era Campaign Guide is unavailable for use, seeing as how most of that equipment has not been created yet.

Disclaimer about the Force: I will not warn you if the action your character is about to take will give you a dark side point or not. I also will not define what the Force, the Light side and the Dark side are in an attempt to rationalize whether or not a dark side point is warranted for a character’s actions. We are all levelheaded people and have a somewhat firm grasp of good and evil, but know that this campaign is a heroic one. With that said I encourage players to flirt with the dark side if it befits you character concept, there really is no penalty to having dark side points, until you get enough to equal your Wisdom score that is! So have fun!

Starting Character
If your character concept demands that your character is in the full employ of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) then you begin with the following equipment: a DC-15A long blaster rifle or the DC-15S blaster carbine, a single grenade of your choice (yes you may choose a thermal detonator), a suit of light armor (unmodified), and a utility belt (with all the trimmings). You get this equipment for free. However you do not gain starting credits if you choose this option.

All unarmored characters begin play with a hands free comlink.

Abilities
When creating a character you should use the point buy system using 30 points. Droids use 25 points. However, you may not increase a stat higher than 18 (before racial modifiers).

Species
This is a campaign set in the Rise of the Empire era, as such not all species presented in the books are available as a playable species. Any species discovered after Episode II is unavailable for play. (example: Ewoks) Any questions just ask me.
Kel Dor: Kel Dor can survive in a vacuum a number of minutes equal to their Constitution score.

Ithorians: Only Ithorian characters with the Force sensitivity feat can utilize the Bellow special ability.

Gen’Dai: the Gen’Dai species is banned as a playable species.

Classes
First level Jedi: First level Jedi characters must begin the campaign as padawans. As such they must begin in the Young Adult category for their species, thus suffering a -1 to all ability scores. So, create your abilities as normal, then apply the penalties, these are temporary, and as your character ages the penalties will be removed and thus your scores will return to “normal” when becoming an adult.

Multi-classing: When a character chooses to multi-class into another class they may choose to take the feat Skill Training instead of selecting one of the starting feats for the given class.

Force Adept Prestige Class: The Force Adept prestige class now gains a full base attack bonus progression. However, it does not gain the listed defense scores but gains a +2 to Reflex, Fortitude, and Will defenses.

Retraining: Upon reaching a new level a character may choose to retrain one feat or talent. To do so you must determine at what level the character took the feat or talent that you wish to replace. Then compare that to the new feat or talent the character wishes to learn. If the character at that level was eligible (would meet any prerequisites) for the new feat or talent, then they may replace the feat or talent at that level for their new one. (Similar to the retraining rules in D&D 3.5)

Example: Todrin wishes to replace his Dead Eye feat for Weapon Focus (unarmed strike). He took Dead Eye at 3rd level and he also meets the prereqs for Weapon Focus (simple weapons) at 3rd level. So he retrains Dead Eye for Weapon Focus (simple weapons).

Feats and talents that provide a static (always on) bonus such as Skill Focus or Weapon Focus are not available for retraining.

Skills
Treat Injury (First Aid): a character may have first aid performed on them a number of times equal to 1 + their Constitution modifier.

Feats
Starship Tactics: Any character trained in the Pilot skill automatically gains the Starship Tactics feat and adds 1 + Wisdom modifier in Starship Maneuvers to their suite. Likewise, any character that takes the feat Skill Focus (Pilot) gains the Starship Tactics feat a second time, adding more maneuvers to their suite.

Skill Focus: When a character takes the Skill Focus feat you gain a +2 bonus to the skill and an additional +1 every 4 levels (max +5) thereafter. +2 at level 1, +3 at level 5, +4 at level 9 and +5 at level 13.

Heroic Traits
Destiny Points: Destiny points may no longer be used to cause an automatic critical hit. In addition characters gain 2 Destiny Points per level. Also, you may choose a destiny category for your character from any of the available books. Yet, I will choose the specifics of what your destiny entails, which you will discover throughout the course of the campaign.

Combat
Knock down: when a character makes a successful unarmed melee attack against a target, the target is moved 1 square directly away from the attacker and knocked prone. The target may choose to make an opposed Acrobatics tumble check to remain standing and hold on to their weapon (see below). On a successful Acrobatics check the target may move to any adjacent square. The target suffers any damage they would receive from the attack. If the target has any martial arts feat they may take an attack of opportunity, if allowed, on a successful AoO, the target remains standing.

A character with any martial arts feat that makes a successful unarmed attack against a target also causes the target to drop any object(s) they are holding in addition to being knocked prone. The target is also knocked 1d3 squares directly away from the attacker. Any dropped objects land 1d3 squares away from the target using the grenade deviation chart. A character with any martial arts feat that scores a critical hit with an unarmed attack against a target causes the target to instantly be knocked back (per the above rule), fall prone and drop whatever object(s) they are holding. The target cannot make an Acrobatics check to avoid being knocked prone by an unarmed critical hit.

Explosions: when a character takes damage from a frag grenade, thermal detonator, character scale missiles, anti-personal mines, starship weapons that deal area damage, or any other type of explosive device, that character is knocked 1d6 squares backward and lands prone. The character also drops any object(s) they are holding.

The Edge of Exhaustion: If you have already used your second wind(s) for the day, you can catch another second wind by voluntarily moving –1 persistent step down the condition track. The persistent condition remains until you’ve had surgery performed on you or until you get eight consecutive, uninterrupted hours of rest.

Equipment
Antidote Kit: may be used in place of a medpac to treat poison and adds +5 to the Treat Injury check. 250 credits.

Life Support pack: functions as a medpac but adds +10 to the Treat Injury check. May also be used in place of a medpac to revive a character from death and adds +5 to the Treat Injury check. 500 credits.

Homing Beacon: a homing beacon is a tiny .5 kg device that allows the user the ability to track a ship even through multiple hyperspace jumps. Homing beacons can be set to a frequency that communicates with your datapad, portable computer, personal computer, sensor pack, or vehicle computer. Homing beacons are difficult to detect and add a +10 equipment bonus to Stealth checks used to hide the device and a DC 30 Use Computer check to detect the broadcasted signal. Cost 1,000 credits, Availability Restricted.

Nightvision goggles: is a .5 kg device that grants the wearer darkvision. However, in areas of bright light the wearer is considered blind due to the photoreceptors being flooded with light. Cost 300 credits, Availability Military.

Expanded Weapon Ranges:
Use these weapon ranges instead of the weapon ranges listed in the core rulebook.

The Force
Advancing levels: A character must have a mentor in order to learn new Force Powers, Force Talents, or Force Techniques. Even then the character is limited to learning the powers that their mentor knows. Thus, if a character wishes to learn a particular power they must seek out one who knows that power. A mentor may be anything that has the required Force Power, Force Talent, or Force Technique and is willing to teach the “apprentice” the new ability.

Temptation of the Dark Side: the rules for the seductive Dark Side as presented on page 85 of The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide are available for Force Sensitive characters to use. Basically a Force Sensitive character can call upon the Dark Side to gain the use of Dark Side Force Powers or Talents.

Atoning: The optional rule for atoning on page 85 of The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide will also be used. To summarize, you may only remove 1 DSP per level and must spend at least 24 hours “atoning”.

Special: During the Rise of the Empire and Rebellion eras, Force-Sensitive characters suffer a –10 circumstance penalty on all Use the Force checks to determine the location and goings-on of any dark side character. If attempting to discern the location or activities of the current Sith Lords the Use the Force check must succeed at an opposed roll vs. a Use the Force check from the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, also at the same circumstance penalty.
The Sith Lords need not be aware of the Sense attempt. Even if the check succeeds, the information gained is vague (“…the dark side surrounds the chancellor…”) unless it is something the Sith want them to see.

Force Powers:
Farseeing: add this to the Special section: You may spend a Destiny Point to gain the use of the Visions talent for this use of Farseeing.

(New Power) Force Choke [Dark Side]: You use the Force to choke and suffocate a creature. Time: Full-Round Action. Target: One Target within 12 squares and within line of sight.
Make a Use the Force Check. If your check result exceeds the targets Fortitude Defense, the target begins to suffocate, moving -1 step down the condition track. The target may only take a swift action on its next turn.
Special: You may maintain your Force Choke by making your Use the Force check vs. the targets Fortitude Defense again, if successful you maintain choking the target and it moves an additional -1 step down the condition track. If the target reaches the bottom of the condition track it falls unconscious. If Force Choke is maintained on an unconscious target the target then dies. Maintaining Force Choke is a standard action. If you suffer damage while maintaining Force Choke you must succeed on a Use the Force check (DC 20 + damage taken) to continue concentrating.

Force Grip: Make the following changes to the Force Grip Force power: replace the line that says the character “can only take a single swift action on it’s turn.” With: “the character looses it’s standard action on its next turn.” In addition add the following line to the Special section: “If this power is used against a living target the user gains one Dark Side point.”

Mind Trick: Targets with a Will Defense of 20 or higher are immune to the effects of a Mind Trick.

Move Object: Move object deals damage based on the size of the object being moved not the result of the Use the Force check. Move Object targets the Fortitude Defense of a target. There is no maximum to the distance that a target may be moved as long as it is still within line of sight. You may still only move an object 6 squares a round. Any creature moved by the Move Object Force power lands prone, unless the Force User wants the creature to land on its feet.

Telepathy: If your Use the Force check is higher than the targets Will Defense you may convey a short phrase rather than a single word. However, only targets trained in Use the Force are able to send a short phrase response back to the originator.

Vehicles
Vehicle Repairs: if characters are performing the repairs on a vehicle without the use of a legitimate starport, chop shop, or when otherwise performing the repairs themselves, they need to purchase raw materials costing the number of lost hull points x 50.

Hyperspace travel: The following hyperspace rules replace the rules for determining travel time in the SECR and work WITH the astrogation rules presented in the Starships of the Galaxy.

Travel within the same region of space; When traveling within the same region of space (Outer Rim for example) calculate the time using the following formula: 1d10 hours x hyperdrive modifier.

Travel across multiple regions; When traversing multiple regions calculate the time using the following formula: 1d12+3 hours x hyperdrive multiplier + n days. Where "n" equals +1 day per region crossed.

Example: When traveling from the Core to the Outer Rim use the formula 1d12+3 hours x hyperdrive modifier + 5 days (for crossing through 5 regions of space). Or when traveling only in the Outer Rim use the formula 1d10 hours x hyperdrive modifier.

Hyperspace lanes: When traveling along a major hyperspace lane divide the total time in half.